NEW HAVEN — A child abuse expert testified Thursday that the young girl who allegedly was sexually assaulted by defendant Michael Torres showed “clear evidence” of vaginal penetration.

But Dr. Rebecca Moles, who examined the girl at the Yale Child Abuse Clinic in August 2015, acknowledged under cross-examination that she did not know who assaulted the child.

Torres, now 31, was living with a woman and children at an apartment in the city in December 2013 when he allegedly committed the sexual assaults. One of the children was Torres’ biological child but that child was not the one who showed signs of abuse.

Torres already is serving 28 years in prison for holding two of the children’s hands over an open flame on a stove. One of those victims, who was eight years old at the time she was burned on Aug. 16, 2015, also was the victim in the sexual abuse case. A jury in the first assault trial a year ago convicted Torres on 10 counts, including first-degree assault, unlawful restraint and risk of injury to a minor for the burning.

In the current trial, Torres is charged with three counts of first-degree sexual assault and three counts of risk of injury to a minor, all allegedly occurring on Dec. 1, 2013. The girl was sexually assaulted shortly before her seventh birthday, according to the arrest warrant.

The warrant quotes the girl describing Torres burning her and her sister, who was four years old, and repeatedly hitting the older girl with a stick. The girl also described sexual assaults by Torres in graphic detail.

According to the warrant, the girl reported that “Torres told her if she told anyone what he had done, he would kill her.”

The warrant also quoted Moles: “Examination today reveals a healthy 8-year-old with a healing burn on her thumb and a scar on her leg that are consistent with her disclosures of being struck with a stick and being burned at stove flame. Her genital examination reveals findings consistent with prior penetrating trauma to the vaginal area with loss of hymenal tissue and scarring.”

The warrant also quoted Moles concluding: “This child’s genital injury is consistent with her report of vaginal penetration and bleeding.”

During her testimony, Moles explained a photo of the girl’s injuries introduced into evidence. Moles said her medical examination of the girl revealed “an injury to the hymen area,” where there was “an absence of tissue.”

“The absence of tissue is the result of tearing,” Moles told the jury.

Moles said she also saw “purple discoloration” in the girl’s genital area and “what appeared to be scarring.”

“This led me to conclude that she had injuries consistent with prior penetration,” Moles testified.

When Senior Assistant State’s Attorney Maxine Wilensky asked Moles to define “penetration,” Moles said: “An injury that penetrated beyond the skin, beyond the hymen, all the way into the vagina.”

Moles said she could not determine when the injuries occurred.

Defense attorney Wade Luckett did not question Moles for long but he did ask: “You don’t know who caused these injuries?”